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Sir Alex Ferguson takes his table-topping Manchester United side to Anfield on Saturday lunchtime to face off against Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool.The Scotsmen have built up a long and heated rivalry over the years and that will be evident on the field as both sides look to continue their impressive form.

Before the international break Dalglish’s men had grinded out a 2-0 win down the road at Mersey rivals Everton but the visit of United will pose a much greater threat. Andy Carroll was on the mark in that game and with confidence now flowing through the 22-year-old’s ample frame he’ll be tasked with unsettling the Red Devil’s young defence. Dalglish is unbeaten in his last five league games against United – a run stretching back to 1986. He could have Steven Gerrard back in the starting eleven for the first time this season. He’s scored four goals in this fixture and will be eager to make it five if he’s thrown back into the mix. The game also marks the first anniversary of John W. Henry’s takeover at Anfield and there is no doubt his arrival coincided with the clubs incredible turnaround. This time last year the beleaguered Roy Hodgson was in charge and floundering at every turn. Now they have a club legend in the dugout and a squad packed to the rafters with multi-million pound talent.

Their record against United is strong and they haven’t tasted defeat in this fixture at Anfield since 2007. Ferguson’s side have lost on their last three visits and they’ll need to perform a lot better than they did against Norwich two weeks ago. Despite being punished with a three-match ban for his red card in Montenegro last week Wayne Rooney will lead the Red Devil’s attack looking to score at Anfield for the for the first time since 2005 when he hit the winner in a 1-0 victory. The England striker already has nine goals to his name this season and reaching double figures will be a high priority. United have smashed 34 goals in and are unbeaten in 11 league and cup games. They are sitting pretty at the Premier League and that could be put down to their unwavering resilience. Statistically they at their most potent in front of goal during the last five minutes of the game so Liverpool fans should be wary of checking their watches too early.

Key Players

Jose Enrique – The Spanish fullback has had a great start to life at Anfield and will be crucial to Liverpool’s chances on Saturday. With Nani and Ashley Young having a penchant to swap wings throughout a game Enrique will need to have his defensive hat on to snuff out two of United’s main attacking threats.

Wayne Rooney – Despite his sending off for England last week Rooney is still an integral part of Ferguson’s side with nine goals to his name already this season. The striker is in red-hot form his boss will be looking at him to provide the inspiration and goals to give secure victory over his old foes.

Verdict: 1-1

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Jose Enrique is Liverpool’s top ranked player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index in 21st place followed by Luis Suarez in 21st place Liverpool defeated one of their great rivals in their last Barclays Premier League game. Liverpool covered 107.6km in the game against Everton compared to the Toffees 106.4km. Wayne Rooney remains the Premier League’s top goal scorer with 9 goals this season. Rooney has had an incredible 32 attempts at goal this season, one every 18 minutes, getting 59% on target Rooney has gone on the record recently as saying that United are now defending from the front like Barcelona, and the stats show he is right. Rooney, Nani, and Young have won 6, 9 and 5 tackles respectively this season. This is especially impressive when you compare it to cross-city rivals Aguero and Dzeko who have each won just one tackle.

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Manchester City’s strike trio of Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotell will only improve, manager Roberto Mancini has warned.Bosnian striker Dzeko cost the Eastlands club 27 million pounds, but his well-taken brace against Aris Salonika in the Europa League’s round-of-32 indicated that it was a sound investment by the Eastlands club, who outclassed their Greek opponents 3-0 on Thursday. “I think that he (Dzeko) played well,” Mancini told ESPN. “He scored two goals, which for him, is very important. It was important that we started very well.”The expensively-assembled strike force of Tevez, Balotelli and Dzeko started alongside each other for the first time, and Mancini said the trio would only get better with experience of sharing the forward space.”In the first half (the strikers played) very well. It was the first time (that they played together), I think that they need to play again, but second half when we tired I think we had some problems with the balance of the team.”Mancini added that City’s round-of-16 opponents, Dynamo Kiev, would pose a threat given their extensive experience within European competition.”I played against them a lot of times. It’s a big team – one of the best teams in the Ukraine – they play always in the Champions League and they have a lot of experience, so they’ll be a very difficult game,” the Italian said.

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has promised manager Rafael Benitez transfer funds this summer despite the uncertainty at boardroom level.

Hicks and fellow American George Gillett put the Reds up for sale last month following three years in charge at Anfield.

The American duo have been criticised by fans for a buyout which placed a huge burden of debt on the club, while the failure to begin work on a proposed new stadium left many supporters calling for their heads.

On the pitch it hasn't been much better after last season's seventh-placed finish in the Premier League left the Reds facing up to prospect of no lucrative place in next year's Champions League.

However, Hicks insists that Benitez will have money to spend this summer and has rejected suggestions that star players Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard could be sold to boost the empty Anfield coffers.

"We have no intention of selling any of our top players and we have a substantial transfer budget in place," said Hicks.

"There's so much misinformation about transfer spending. It's more than doubled under the ownership of George and myself from the previous three years and we will make a significant investment this summer. It's really about getting the right players."

Meanwhile, Hicks has hit out at suggestions that he and Gillett have taken the club backwards during their time on Merseyside.

"There's been so much misinformation put out by people who have their own agendas and it's unfortunate," he told Sky Sports News.

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"But the truth is the club is much better off than it was three years ago.

"We've done our best. I'm disappointed on a personal level that our efforts have not been received as well as I wish they had been."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

The majority of Sunderland fans would be lying if they said they hadn’t been expecting more from Martin O’Neill’s first full summer in charge. With obvious weaknesses in the squad and assurances from the manager and Chairman Ellis Short that the club would be targeting quality signings, the solitary arrival of Carlos Cuellar hasn’t exactly revitalised the Stadium of Light faithful ahead of the upcoming campaign. Supporters have spent many a transfer window analysing the merits of a host of new signings but there has been rapid change of pace on Wearside this time around with more departures than new arrivals.

In part this reserved activity was inevitable as O’Neill was bound to focus on whittling out the deadwood in his squad but the terraces know all too well which positions need to be strengthened and so far the club have made very little progress. With Wolves endlessly batting away inflated offers for Steven Fletcher, Sunderland’s progress has in part been crippled by selling clubs looking to take advantage of their desperation for reinforcements but to their credit they have remained steadfast in their recruitment drive and still have time to find the right names.

Despite a low key summer, the club are still in a great position to challenge for the top 10. Whether they can push for a European place will rely heavily on their pre-deadline day efforts but despite being a fair way behind to League’s top dogs, the Black Cats have an excellent foundation to build upon next season and can look to enjoy some cup success while cementing their place as the best of rest.

One to watch next season

Plenty has been made of Irish winger James McClean after his impressive debut season in the North East culminated in a call up to Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2012 squad. Despite Stephane Sessegnon bearing the brunt of Sunderland’s attacking threat, the 23 year old has become one of the first names on the team sheet after countless energetic performances illustrated how wrong Steve Bruce was to leave him in the reserves. Having been thrown in at the deep end during O’Neill’s first game in charge, the former Derry City star has hardly looked back since and managed to score 6 times in side that often struggled in front of goal. His determined work rate has made him a fan’s favourite and an expected switch to the right wing will help develop his game still further by allowing him progress from a raw talent to a versatile Premier League midfielder.

His reported £350,000 transfer fee looks a snip compared to the inflated prices being touted around this summer and shines a light on the £9m offer from West Ham that Wolves rejected for Matt Jarvis, proving there is value for money if you’re willing to look for it. With bags of energy and a never say die attitude that makes him just as responsible defensively as going forward, the speedy winger’s progress is one of the main sparks to excite fans going into the new season. Sunderland have finally found a solution to their left sided midfield woes and possess a player who can make the position his own while they seek to strengthen in other areas.

The Black Cats have struggled to find any real consistency in recent years, particularly in front goal since the departure of Darren Bent, but players like McClean have affordably helped them rediscover their attacking flair and the final piece of the puzzle is finding someone to put the ball in the back of the net. O’Neill’s troops look threatening as a counter attacking side and the pace and skill of McClean will play a major role in the hopes for re-establishing their top 10 status next season.

Breakthrough player

Despite a Kevin Ball inspired youth setup churning out a number of talented aspiring stars, Sunderland fans have rarely seen the fruits of his labours in recent seasons but with Jack Colback looking more and more accomplished in the centre of midfield, they could finally have a home grown hero to get behind. After the departure of Jordan Henderson, there were concerns that the Black Cats may have lost one of their best fledgling talents but ‘the North East’s answer to Paul Scholes’ has shown he’s a mature passer of the ball and is by no means out of his depth in the top flight. His progression is in stark contrast to the stuttering path walked by Henderson at Liverpool and another season of first team football could see Colback outshine his former team mate.

As well as ousting central midfielders such as David Vaughan and Craig Gardner from the starting line up, the youngster has also shown he’s defensively adept when filling in at left-back and this versatility is another string to his ever strengthening bow. With an old head on young shoulders Colback keeps possession well and tracks back to defend but he also found the net twice last season, including a wonder strike against local rivals Middlesbrough, and will be looking to add more goals to his game. Having been given the backing of his manager after spells of intermittent game time, the steep learning curve he experienced last season will stand him in good stead for an improved campaign. Supporters should still be cautiously nurturing given the competition for places at the club and no one can predict potential injuries and personal disruptions but Colback should play an increasingly integral role in the side.

Expectations for the upcoming campaign

It’s always a tough task trying to assess Sunderland’s potential fortunes. On the one hand they’re clearly a big side with a large stadium, passionate supporters and an experienced manager backed by a wealthy owner with European aspirations. On the other hand they’re one of a number of mid-table teams looking to take the next step up in class but have little pedigree to suggest such progression is especially likely. Long gone are the good old days of Peter Reid and while the foundations for a repeat performance are still there, the current squad on paper do not look capable of reaching those heights. Add to that the years spent yo-yoing to and from the Championship and it’s only in the last few seasons that the club have truly reaffirmed their position as a top side.

Fans know they need a number of fresh faces if they’re to move forward but so far nothing much has materialised on the transfer front and until improvements are made, it’s hard to look beyond another inauspicious mid-table finish. That said, it’s not all doom and gloom for the squad is looking much healthier now than in previous injury ravaged seasons. Should the club attract a new striker and left back to the North East in the next few weeks then they will have every position in the squad covered. O’Neill has already shown during his short reign in charge that he is more than capable of inspiring his players to go above and beyond for the cause and if he can get the best of his squad when they’re lacking in a few areas then the sky’s the limit should he finally fill those gaps.

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In reality an 8th placed finish and a cup run would satisfy most but the club’s ambitions are to challenge for Europe so if the owners can back that sentiment with transfer funds then fans can expect a much stronger assault on the Premier League next season.

What excites/concerns you ahead of next season? Which player’s are you looking forward to seeing at the SOL?

Let me know your views and opinions by following me on Twitter – Tweet me @Alex_Churcher

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Tottenham are weighing up a January move for Academica Coimbra star Eder the Mirror understands after watching twice in the past fortnight.

The 23-year-old, who’s full name is Éderzito António Macedo Lopes, has been targeted by manager Harry Redknapp to provide some additional competition to his front line.

Despite signing Emmanuel Adebayor on deadline day and having Jermaine Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko to choose from the Spurs boss still wants to bolster his attacking options and Eder has emerged as a target.

Scouts from North London have been watching his progress over the last few weeks and have been impressed by his displays for Academica who play in the Portugal’s top flight.

A cut price move to White Hart Lane now seems to be on the cards with Academica keen to sell him before his contract expires next year meaning he can leave for nothing.

The Guinea-born player has also attracted interest from Italian side Parma and German outfit Hannover although a move to the Premier League could prove to hard to resist.

It’s though Eder would command a fee of around £2 million should Spurs decided to make a move in January despite the striker being a free agent when his current deal comes to an end in the summer.

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As we continue our look back at moments that have defined English football, we take a trip back to Arsenal’s record breaking invincible team of 2003/04 and the biggest single threat to their hopes of going 38 games unbeaten that season.

No. 2: Manchester United v Arsenal at Old Trafford, 21st September 2003

Considering just how many classic clashes there have been between these two old foes over the last fifteen years, this meeting should have been nothing but a footnote on the tapestry that has become the Premier League’s most pivotal rivalry.

In reality, as the board went up to signal three minutes of stoppage time at Old Trafford, pundits were reflecting on a bad tempered stalemate between two sides striving to get out of second gear. The talk looked set to be of Patrick Vieira’s late red card, as the Frenchman was given a second booking for a petulant kick at Ruud van Nistelrooy, and the subsequent anger of the Arsenal players at the reaction of the Dutchman, encouraging referee Steve Bennett to reach for his top pocket.

Chances across the 90 minutes had been scarce – a Ryan Giggs free-kick hit the outside of the frame of the goal and Dennis Bergkamp had nearly played in Vieira, but those brief moments aside, the two sides had well and truly cancelled each other out.

The true significance of this result would not be felt until Arsenal completed their historic season with a win over Leicester City eight months later, but when Martin Keown felled Uruguayan Diego Forlan in the box during added time, the controversial van Nistelrooy was given the chance to complete a miserable week for Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman, having witnessed his side’s 3-0 mid-week capitulation at the hands of Italian giants Inter Milan, was surely about to see his prediction that an Arsenal side could go the season unbeaten dashed for another year.

Looking unusually ruffled, having missed both his previous attempts from the spot, van Nistelrooy smashed the resultant penalty against Jens Lehmann’s crossbar, and in the ensuing chaos was confronted by a succession of angry Arsenal players, crowding the crestfallen striker as he made his way out of the penalty area.

The animosity between the two sets of players had long been established. Van Nistelrooy was a particular figure of hate for the longer established members of the Gunners’ squad, and the intensity of the penalty situation boiled over and resulted in an ugly post match scuffle as referee Bennett brought the game to a close.

The fallout from the final moments of the game was far reaching. Both sides were admonished in the press for being unable to control their players but the punishments imposed by the FA looked set to have a major impact on Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Premier League title, four key players were fined and banned. Right back Lauren received the most severe sanctions, being forced to sit out four Premier League fixtures. Martin Keown was banned for three matches and both Ray Parlour and Patrick Vieira were given single game suspensions.

Arsenal were also fined heavily, and many suggested that the Gunners, who had been unable to find fluidity during the early weeks of the season, would struggle to keep up with United and new rivals Chelsea.

The significance of the disciplinary action should have served as a warning to United’s central defender Rio Ferdinand who was awaiting an FA hearing after missing a scheduled drug test. The eight-month ban later imposed on the former West Ham man was arguably the most significant moment of the season, although it was the punishments laid on Lauren, Keown, Parlour and Vieira that initially grabbed the headlines.

Arsenal would go on to hit their stride after the New Year and whilst they drew eleven further games, their profligacy never looked like being punished by their inconsistent rivals. History will eventually forget that late summer’s afternoon when Manchester United came six inches away from destroying Arsenal’s invincible season before it even got off the ground, and the ugly ramifications that followed. Ultimately, the success of the months ahead was the defining element of the invincibles’ crown.

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As a footnote, Martin Keown never started another Premier League match for Arsenal after the announcement of the punishments inflicted on the Gunners for their involvement in the Old Trafford tussle. Jens Lehmann, who watched Ruud van Nistelrooy’s penalty cannon off his crossbar, would wait another thirteen months before tasting a first league defeat in Arsenal colours.

Wonder why I haven’t been given an FA disrepute charge? Follow me on Twitter to sign the online petition.

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Liverpool striker Andy Carroll looks like he could be set for a move away from Anfield, with former club Newcastle United interested in bringing the England international back to Tyneside.

The 23-year-old has struggled since his move to Liverpool back in January 2011 and the arrival of new Reds manager Brendan Rodgers has heightened the possibility of him leaving the club.

Carroll won’t be allowed to leave on loan, which was the deal that Newcastle were looking to structure, so the Magpies have been left to negotiate with the Reds’ board as Liverpool embark on their pre-season tour of the USA.

Here is Carroll burying his head in the sand so to speak as he hides from the rumours surrounding him, but can you come up with a funny caption for this picture?

Leave your suggestions in the comments section below…

This week you can win a Signed Liverpool FC Shirt!

This shirt has been signed by the 2011/12 Liverpool squad, a perfect gift for any Red.

For the FootballFanCast.com Caption Competition Terms and Conditions click here

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Check out our Caption Competition Gallery for some inspiration and to see the winners so far.

Last week’s winner: Adrian Brodkin – click here to see all entries

Wayne Rooney has sprung to the defence of new Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea after a number of high profile mistakes in the early part of the 2011-12 season, and feels the Spaniard will be an excellent signing.

The Premier League champions signed the 21-year-old from Atletico Madrid for £18.3 million in the summer as a replacement for outgoing Edwin van der Sar, and the England forward has been impressed with the new stopper.

“David is obviously a good shot-stopper. I hadn’t seen much of him before he signed, but that was something I saw immediately. Also his passing out from the back is alongside Edwin’s. He rarely kicks long to a forward,” the striker told The Daily Mail.

De Gea made mistakes to gift goals to Manchester City and West Brom in the first two games of the season for the Old Trafford outfit, but has appeared to bounce back in recent fixtures.

“He is still young and has probably got a lot to learn, but he is working hard and doing well in training. He is a strong character. After the Manchester City game, and then West Brom, he didn’t seem to be affected.

“He was on the training pitch the next day, working hard. The last couple of games he’s done well for us and he will only get better the more he plays,” Rooney concluded.

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Van Der Sar has announced that he will retire from football at the end of the season. With Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, the best two defenders in the Premier League, sitting in front of you, you may say it would be easy to be a goalkeeper at Manchester United. But there is no way that Ferguson would take a risk on anything other than a consistent, experienced and able Goalkeeper.

With the likes of Van Der Sar (40), Brad Fiedel (39), Jussi Jääskeläinen (35) Mark Schwarzer, (38) and Marcus Hahnemann (38) all playing in the Premier League, it is apparent that in the modern game, Goalkeepers are looking after themselves better, and being looked after better than ever before and can extend their careers long into their late 30’s.

What this means is that Ferguson does not need to take a risk on a young Goalkeeper, or spend time developing one, because you can buy an experience Goalkeeper these days and not have to worry that you will only get a few years out of him, in the same way that you might about a striker.

Manchester United spent six years looking for a GK before they found Van Der Sar, and Ferguson admits that he should have bought him as soon as Schmeichel left. Van Der Gouw, Bosnich, Barthez, Caroll, and Taibi were some of the calamitous short term replacements but none did what Van Der Sar has done. Ferguson will definitely not put his side through this process again. I think he will spend the money and but a top class player since it is much less risky to buy a proven option than invest in youth.

It is true also that the only way goalkeepers get better is by playing regularly. This has been demonstrated this year by Ben Foster who never quite made enough of an impression at United to be kept on, but now he is settled at Birmingham, his form puts him as one of the best keepers in the Premiership.

In short, his other new goalkeeper Lindegaard, 26, will have a few opportunities from now until September and he will have to play out of his skin if he is to get anywhere near persuading Ferguson out of reinvesting.

Ferguson does not have time to buy a keeper with potential and try and bring them through, such as De Gea. Unlike with outfield players, top clubs have to buy a keeper who is already somewhere near the finished article; there is no room or time to develop a keeper.

Some would argue that the centre of midfield is United’s weakness; this was highlighted in the Champions League against Barcelona where they were out-passed by a superior side and made to run in circles round them. But to be fair, Barcelona do that to everyone (except Inter last year). Fletcher is determined and enthusiastic and is improving every season. Anderson too looks like he is finally starting to grow into the rather large boots you would expect of such an expensive player (circa 15m). Yes Hargreaves does have glass legs and a midfield option may be required, but only after a goalkeeper. So who should it be?

I think Ferguson will go for Stekelenburg from Ajax. He took over the Holland gloves from Van Der Sar and seems a perfect option. His contract is running out in a year too so he will not be as expensive as some of the others. Vitally he is tall, which will be important in the physical Premier League. Names such as Neuer, Akinfeev and Lloris will no doubt be thrown into the mixer but Ferguson is bound to ask Van Der Sar’s advice and I don’t see him recommending anyone other than his compatriot. If you are a betting man a suggest a coupled of quid on him now.

That said, rumours will no doubt circulate over the concluding months of the season, with Pepe Reina and Gigi Buffon the latest two to be linked with an Old Trafford move. I really can’t see Reina going, not from Liverpool to United, and I doubt Dalglish would be willing to let one of his few world class players leave.

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Gossip on a new goalkeeper may not be as exciting as the potential signing of a new Brazilian wonder-kid, or the latest goal-scoring machine, but when it comes to transfers, I doubt much else will be on Fergie’s mind between now and the end of the season. For the time being, let us applaud the achievements of Edwin Van Der Sar.

From 1990-2011 he has won the English Premier League 3 times, Uefa Cup, Eredivisie 4 times and the Champions League twice.

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Paul Jewell has recently announced that Carlos Edwards will remain as captain next season even though many thought that new signing Luke Chambers would take the armband.

Edwards took over as captain last season when Grant Leadbitter was removed as captain and Jewell believes that Edwards is still the right man for the job.

The Trinidad and Tabago international did put in some solid shifts at right back last season and he certainly makes a better captain than Grant Leadbitter.

However, Edwards will be 34 in October so it is likely that he won’t be able to sustain a regular position in the team in the future. I don’t think that Edwards will be good enough to make the team by the end of this season and many would argue that Jewell should have replaced Edwards and named a younger player as captain for this coming season for the long term.

Although many have said that Chambers would make a good captain, others have claimed that young centre back Tommy Smith should have been named captain.

At the age of 22, Smith is young enough to lead the team for many years and he did impress at the end of last season. It would be great to see Smith take the captaincy and have a great season but personally I don’t think he is quite ready for that role. It would be hard for Smith to boss the team around as he still has a lot to learn himself and he hasn’t even played consistently well for a whole season yet. If anyone was going to take the captaincy off Edwards, for me it was always going to be new arrival Chambers.

Chambers has experience as captain from his former clubs and at the age of 26 is old enough to command respect within the team. One of the reasons Paul Jewell signed Chambers would have been because he has great leadership qualities; so why not make him captain?

The main argument against appointing him as captain would be that as he is a new arrival it wouldn’t be right to give him such a crucial role. Personally, I don’t think it matters whether a player has been at the club for years or is a new arrival because as long as they have the ability to lead and the respect of their team mates then they will make a good captain.

I agree with those who say that Chambers would make a good captain and I also agree that Smith will one day be a good choice. However, I think Jewell made the right choice by keeping Edwards as captain. Edwards has more experience than any other Ipswich player and he did a great job last season when he took over as captain. Additionally, by keeping the same captain it gives the side a bit of stability and consistency which is always useful.

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Jewell also brought up a good point when he said “It’s not really about who has the armband. It’s about what you do out on the pitch and in and around the club during the week. That’s what makes a leader”. I couldn’t agree more with Jewell’s logic here and he is saying all of the right things in this instance.

It is likely that Jewell’s plan is to see how the season goes and at some point he will decide it is the right time to replace Edwards as captain. I can see Chambers taking the armband around January or February time but really that shouldn’t change much within the team. Like Jewell says, it doesn’t matter who has the armband as all of the senior players are expected to offer something in terms of leadership and you always need more than one good leader within the team.  

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